The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe today called on San Marino to apply the subsidiarity principle and grant local authorities a substantial share of public affairs, review the financial foundations providing necessary human resources, ensure proportionate state supervision over local competences, and implement consultation procedures in a more systematic and timely manner.
In its recommendation based on a monitoring report by Alexander Boomgaars (Netherlands, L, SOC/G/PD) and Tanja Joona (Finland, L, ILDG) on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in San Marino, the Congress noted with satisfaction the introduction of the subsidiarity principle in law and other positive developments since the previous monitoring report – such as enhanced consultation procedures with local authorities, the establishment of maintenance funding as well as the strengthened possibilities for Township councils and individual councillors to establish international relations. Additionally, foreign citizens were granted voting rights in local elections.
Noting that there was a strong set of institutional instruments and procedures that could support further development of democratic participatory institutions at local level, the Congress recommended that San Marino sign and ratify the Additional Protocol to the Charter on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.
However, the rapporteurs pointed out several matters of concern regarding the limited competencies and decision-making powers at local level, the lack of autonomy and discretion for local authorities in addition to their limited financial resources, and overly detailed administrative supervision. Furthermore, the insufficient use in practice of legally established consultation mechanisms and the absence of professional staff for local authorities were also matters of concern. The report also stressed that the European Charter of Local Self-Government required that independent, democratic local bodies should exist regardless of the size or nature of states. By ratifying the Charter, San Marino committed itself explicitly to strengthening the autonomy of local government, and local authorities should consequently become a natural part of the governmental mechanism, with well-defined roles and a substantial share of responsibilities.
Andrea Belluzzi, Minister for Internal Affairs, Public Function, Institutional Affairs, Relations with the Castello Councils and Regulatory Simplification of San Marino participated in the exchange of views. He thanked the Congress for its support and guidance to San Marino on ways to improve compliance with European standards of local democracy. Minister Belluzzi committed to taking measures to ensure that the Congress recommendations are integrated into the government efforts to strengthen local self-government in San Marino.
This report follows the second monitoring visit to San Marino since the country ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2013. Countries that have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of rights, which form the European foundation of local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities ensures that these principles are respected through its monitoring activities.
Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, Spokesperson, Directorate of Communications, tel.: +33 3 90 21 56 04
Monitoring of the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in San Marino
***
